By now football fans have gotten used to seeing brand name sponsors for their favorite teams. Household names like Coca-Cola, Nike, Adidas, and others appear on jerseys or pop up all over the stadiums. At this point we probably all have this strange voice in our heads telling us to Fly Emirates.
Real Madrid celebrates their victory, wearing jerseys sponsored by bwin casino.
More recently, there has been a growing trend for online casinos and gambling companies to sign sponsorship deals with football clubs. Really, the fact that so many online casinos sponsor football teams should come as no surprise. On the one side, online betting companies have recognized the opportunity to market their brand on a global scale to millions, even billions of fans, via the most popular sport in the world.
On the other hand, football teams get a very big paycheck from these gaming brands with the added bonus of promoting their teams within the emerging online betting industry. Furthermore, most of these online gambling companies already host sports betting platforms that give fans a chance to engage with their favorite teams by placing bets throughout the season.
Let’s start off with Bwin.Party , one of the best known brands in the sports betting and online gaming industry, which has already established multiple partnerships with many of Europe’s most popular football clubs.
Football teams sponsored by bwin include Real Madrid, RSC Anderlecht, FC Bayern München, Juventus, Manchester United, and Olympique de Merseille.
Before their merger with Partypoker, bwin provided main sponsorship for Real Madrid and appeared on their jersey from 2007 to July 2013. Bwin helped the “Royal” team deliver two La Liga titles, two Spanish Super Cups, and La Copa del Rey. As a part of the sponsorship, bwin offers casino players exclusive offers such as visiting the stadium’s bwin box, stadium tours, or even a meet and greet with the team.
Cristiano Ronaldo wears his jersey from Real Madrid sponsored by bwin.
After bwin’s success as shirt sponsor of Real Madrid, a partnership that earned the company 20% of the betting market share in Spain, bwin moved their attention to the Premier League. At the beginning of the 2012/2013 season, bwin signed as Manchester United’s shirt sponsor for €2.4 million. As “the Official Online Gaming and Betting Partner”, bwin supported the Red Devils to win their 20th Premier League Trophy at the peak of Sir Alex Ferguson’s career during their very first season as a major sponsor.
Manchester United players Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, and Nemanja Vidic represent for their team's casino sponsor, bwin.
RSC Anderlecht, Belgium’s biggest football club also signed with bwin in 2013. As the team continues to improve, bwin and RSC Anderlecht have been working to build a strong partnership online and on social media. Bwin also just signed with France’s Olympique de Marseille for the 2014/2015, just in time to unveil the club’s newly renovated stadium.
RSC Anderlecht and bwin team up for a sponsorship deal.
Since 2008, bwin has served as a sponsor to Germany’s FC Bayern München. Throughout the partnership, FC Bayern has proven a success, especially during the 2012/2013 season in which the team won the national league championship, the DFB Cup, and their crowning 2-1 victory over national rivals Borussia Dortmunch in the UEFA Champions League Final in London. As FC Bayern’s official gaming partner, bwin shows its support at all Bundesliga home games with LED banners and TV-effect Cam Carpets. They also host an exclusive lounge in the Allianz Arena for business partners and selected customers to watch guys like Frank Ribery, Arjen Robben, and Bastian Schweinsteiger in action.
Bwin profiles FC Bayern München player Arjen Robben, who holds the record as the fastest man on the football field, clocking in 37 km/hour.
The legendary Juventus team hardly needs any introduction. As the most successful club in the Italian league and the first club in Europe to win every continental trophy, some may think the Juventus team would not need an online casino as a sponsor. While that may be the case, the team chose to have one all the same. We all remember when BetClic UK represented the team’s chosen sponsor between 2010 and 2012. Since then, bwin has stepped in as a gaming sponsor for Juventus.
Of course, bwin doesn’t have a complete monopoly as the only online casino sponsoring football teams. Lottomatica, one of the leading online betting companies in Italy, certainly has made its presence as a casino sponsor of football clubs. Lottomatica (or its subsidiary Better) has a total of 5 Italian Series A teams under its belt; Milan, Roma, Lazio, Sampdoria, and Napoli.
Now onto Denmark where the online gaming company Unibet hosts two of the country’s top level football teams, FC Copenhagen and FC Midtjylland. Unibet has a three year contract with both Danish Superliga teams, serving as their exclusive betting partner.
Unibet proudly sponsors FC København.
When Unibet first signed with both teams back in 2012, FC Copenhagen Chief Executive Anders Hørsholt commented, “Besides finances, Unibet have shown a particular interest and commitment in creating a relationship with FC Copenhagen's many fans both during and between match days. We see this as a progression, and we are confident that this sponsorship will be of great benefit to Unibet, FC Copenhagen and the fans.”
Meanwhile on the British side, Ladbrokes matches up with Scotland’s Celtic FC as a sponsor. PaddyPower has a deal with Arsenal, Everton, and Liverpool while BetButler has established partnerships with Cardiff City, Fulham, Newcastle United, Sunderland, and West Bromwich Albion. Not to mention, Bet365 ’s partnerships with West Ham United and Stoke City.
While we’re on the topic, the English Premier League actually stands out as the most popular football league in the world in terms of a global audience. Surveys show that the Asian market was largely responsible for this popularity, comprising 40% of the English Premier League’s total audience. With football’s vast popularity in Asia, in 2013 London’s Premier League team, Arsenal signed a three year deal with the online betting company, Bodog , as its official Asian Betting Partner.
That same year, Vinai Venkatesham, Head of Global Partnerships at Arsenal said, “As our fan base in Asia continues to grow rapidly, working in partnership with companies like Bodog, who have long-term roots in the region, provides a strong platform to further engage with Arsenal fans in Asia.”
Incidentally, Arsenal also has a three year contract with Swedish betting company, Betsson, which started back in 2011.
The partnerships between online betting companies and football clubs go together like bread and butter. The global reach and international appeal of the sport makes it a lucrative opportunity for online gambling and betting companies to promote their brand. Meanwhile, online betting companies bring cash to football, and clubs can expect millions each year striking up sponsorship deals with international betting partners. With that in mind, we can only expect more of our favorite casinos to match up with our beloved football teams.
